How to track billable hours - a step-by-step guide
People Need to See Their Future at [Your Company Here]
1. #INBOUND17@bobruffolo
People Need to See
Their Future at
[Your Company Here]
7 things we did that helped us recruit the best
people, keep our top talent, and dramatically
improve our agency's performance.
B O B R U F F O L O
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Starting Team Size: 36 People
People Left: -21 People
Ending Team Size: 23 People
1/ 15 TO 7/ 15
OUR TEAM: OUR CLI ENTS:
Averaging: ~30 Clients at a Time
Lost Clients: 19 Clients
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Describes what the company
will look and feel like in vivid
detail, usually 3-10 years out.
This is the most important step in people
seeing their future at your company!
A vision….
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1. Top executive writes down what the company will look like in
(3-10) years, including revenue, headcount, customers,
areas of focus, wins, and more.
2. Cascade it to the organization, collecting questions and
suggestions. Their input helps to get buy-in and make it real.
3. Publish and share.
4. Revisit regularly, update team on progress.
Creating a vision is not that hard…
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If we want the right people on
our team, we must have a
documented vision of what the
company will look like that
excites the right people.
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1. More thought leaders in company than just the CEO.
2. Hold our own annual marketing event.
3. Great Place to Work.
4. Recognized as "The Best Agency.”
Included in IMPACT’s 3-year vision:
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#INBOUND17
1. “Hire for culture and train for skill.”
1. Culture: Purpose, values, and vision.
2. Skill: Able to be autonomously successful in their role < 30 days?
2. Be patient & don’t stretch.
3. Always be recruiting….
HOW TO HI RE A PLAYERS :
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• Consult clients about campaign requirements and objectives.
• Create marketing strategies.
• Manage timescales and budgets.
• Perform all required inbound marketing activities including:
blogging, SEO, social media, email marketing, and paid media.
• Assist in company marketing efforts.
Marketing Account Manager
It doesn’t define the expectations!
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• Manage 5 clients / ~$30,000 MRR at a time.
• Average a client NPS score > 9.
• Complete > 120 points of work / month.
• Create 3 success stories / qtr to be published on IMPACT’s website.
• Publish 1 piece of content for IMPACT’s website / month.
Marketing Account Manager
Much better!
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If we want our people to achieve
specific outcomes,
and we want them to feel confident in
their performance,
then they need to know specifically
what’s expected of them.
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• For employee: Makes them feel important and
helps them understand how they fit in the
organization.
• For company: Allows you to get a pulse on the
employee’s longevity with the company.
Purpose of One-on-Ones:
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• At least once every 2 weeks for 30 minutes
• The employee goes first (it’s about them)
• You talking about the present (impediments)
• ...and future (what their career path looks like)
• You build a real relationship
• You listen, laugh & coach, you’re always direct
If done right…
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“Appreciation is a fundamental human need.
Employees respond to appreciation expressed
through recognition of their good work because it
confirms their work is valued. When employees
and their work are valued, their satisfaction and
productivity rises, and they are motivated to
maintain or improve their good work.”
- Kim Harrison, Consultant, Author and Principal of
www.cuttingedgepr.com
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“When employees and their work
are valued, their satisfaction and
productivity rises, and they are
motivated to maintain or improve
their good work.”
- Kim Harrison
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1. How happy are you with your employment at IMPACT?
(1-10) …if not a 10, what would make it a 10?
2. I have a clearly defined career path here at IMPACT.
3. I know exactly what's expected of me in my role here at
IMPACT.
4. Someone in the organization is guiding my growth and
success.
Examples of questions we ask:
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5. I understand the purpose of IMPACT and feel
passionate about our vision / the future of IMPACT.
6. I'm consistently recognized by leadership and my peers
when I do good work and deserve it.
7. I feel surrounded by "A-players”
8. I feel I can give candid, honest feedback to leadership.
9. Leadership cares about my feedback (it's generally
always worthwhile sharing feedback with leadership).
Examples of questions we ask:
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10.I have fun working at IMPACT.
11.How would you rate your manager’s understanding of
what it’s like to be in your shoes here at IMPACT?
12.What about our company’s culture do you find
hypocritical?
13.What is our weakest link right now?
14.What questions do you have for the leadership team?
Examples of questions we ask:
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“We've got a backup on the des/dev side but there
hasn't been a slow-down selling projects that are
des/dev heavy. I know we're trying to solve for this
with the recent hires, but I don't feel like it'll be as
quick of a fix as everyone's making it seem like.”
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“There's a feeling that the machine is straining
right now. What's great is it's because we're so
successful at bringing on and keeping/expanding
the engagements we have. I'd be higher if I knew
we could still crush our goals while not crushing
our people.”
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“Capacity planning is still hazy, we've been
clear that that has been a huge struggle for us
for quite some time, and told that we just need
to be more efficient with our time. That's
bullshit, and you know it.”
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• Everyone on the leadership team must read every single
line of the feedback.
• We group and prioritize.
• We address during the all hands meeting.
When we do this, the rest of the organization knows
we’re trying and rallies behind us.
We take action:
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If we want to progress as a
company, we need to collect
honest feedback from the team,
we need to address it publicly,
and we need to act on it.
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• Over 200 Attendees
• Speakers included: Mike
Volpe, David Meerman Scott,
Mark Roberge, Tara
Robertson, Marcus Sheridan,
and more.
• 2018 Scheduled
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7 Ways to Get People to See Their
Future at Your Company:
1. Have a defined company vision
2. Right people on the team
3. People need to know what’s expected of them
4. People need someone guiding their success
5. People need to be recognized for good work
6. People are enabled to give honest, candid feedback
7. Work should be fun
Organizational Leaders
People inside organization… because this is what you should expect from your employer… and you can help make it a reality.
One thing they said that stood out… “people need to see their future at IMPACT”
Purpose, mastery, autonomy
Giant list of things we were doing wrong.
Giant list of things we were doing wrong.
Purpose, mastery, autonomy
End slide: Who’s ever worked with someone that wouldn’t have passed this analyzer? They sucked at their job and should have been fired a long time ago?
How’d that make you feel?